FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 19, 2020

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT HAZARD TREE REMOVAL PROGRAM ENROLLMENT DOCUMENTS: FEBRUARY 21, 2020

OROVILLE, Calif. – Butte County and the Town of Paradise require property owners to remove Hazard Trees burned by the Camp Fire. A Hazard Tree is any tree burned by the Camp Fire that poses a threat to fall on the public road or public property within five years. 

Property owners have two options for removing Hazard Trees. Option One is Government Hazard Tree Removal, which requires property owners to submit a Right-of-Entry (ROE) form to allow State contractors to identify and remove Hazard Trees from the property. Option Two is Private Hazard Tree Removal, which requires property owners to submit an Inspection Access Form to allow Town or County contractors to confirm Hazard Trees were removed from the property by means of a privately hired contractor. 

The deadline to submit ROE forms and Inspection Access forms is this Friday, February 21, 2020. 

In some cases, property owners may have already removed some or all Hazard Trees on their property. Property owners must still enroll in one of the programs so removal of the trees may be confirmed by the Town or County. Property owners are encouraged to view the Private Property Tree Removal Map for further information and status updates.


ROE Forms and Inspection Access Forms can be submitted in person at the Tree ROE Center: 
• Butte County Library, Paradise Branch
Community Room, 5922 Clark Road, Paradise
Hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.

ROE Forms and Inspection Access forms can also be submitted by mail or email:
• Mail to: Tree Removal ROE Processing Center
               205 Mira Loma Drive, Suite 50
  Oroville, CA. 95965
• Email to: TreeROE@buttecounty.net 

The Tree ROE and Inspection Access Form are available for download online at ButteCountyRecovers.org/treeremoval. 
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For Immediate Release
February 18, 2020

VEGETATION REMOVAL AND FIRE FUEL MANAGEMENT ON BIG BEND, DARK CANYON AND PINKSTON CANYON ROADS

Butte County, Calif.-- Butte County Public Works is performing fuel management along Big Bend Road, from Highway 70 to Nobb Road, on Dark Canyon Road from Big Bend to the end of the County maintained roadway, and also on Pinkston Canyon Road from Highway 70 to Concow Road.  Work will be performed in the County right of way, and consists of the removal and chipping of brush and over-populated small trees, along with raising the canopy of the older established trees to achieve a shaded fuel break.

Motorists that travel these roadways should expect delays of up to 15 minutes. Work schedules will vary based on crew availability, but will generally start at 7:00 a.m. with work completed and roads opened back up to traffic by 3:00 p.m.

Work will continue as crews are available through April 17, 2020. During work hours, roads will be restricted to a single lane of traffic, with flaggers stopping and directing traffic through the work zone.

The Butte County Public Works Department has been serving its residents since 1850, providing cost effective roadway maintenance services.  The Department maintains approximately 1,300 miles of roadways, over 500 bridges and drainage structures and more than 18,000 road signs.  

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For Immediate Release

February 11, 2020

 

Butte County Board of Supervisors Appoints Scott Kennelly

Director, Butte County Behavioral Health

 

Oroville, Calif. -- The Butte County Board of Supervisors appointed Scott Kennelly as Butte County Behavioral Health Director at its February 11 meeting.

Kennelly has been serving as Interim Director of Behavioral Health for the past 8 months and has worked for the Department for a total of 20 years. Throughout his career, Kennelly has gained an in-depth understanding of the mental health system of care through a variety of roles; as a group home counselor, therapist for both youth and adults, and a day treatment clinician. Kennelly has held the titles of Clinical Supervisor, Program Manager, Senior Program Manager and most recently Assistant Director for Butte County Behavioral Health.

As Director for Behavioral Health, Kennelly is dedicated to improving client services and programming, access to care, and the overall community experience. “Butte County Behavioral Health employees are some of the most dedicated and hardworking staff I have had the pleasure of working with. California counties are currently facing an era of unknowns in the mental health system, where much of what we do and how we do it is undergoing significant reform at a State and Federal level. Our agency will be poised to take advantage of opportunities that arise, be wary of pitfalls ahead, and be at the forefront of changes while advocating for meaningful reform. Collaboration and partnerships at both a Countywide and Regional level will be key to much of our success in the future. I look forward to leading our agency and supporting our workforce and for Butte County to become a model for the North State. I am honored to have been selected for this position and hope to partner with our community on improving the overall health of Butte County,” Kennelly said.

“Scott has a wealth of knowledge surrounding Behavioral and Mental Health topics, and understands the current needs of our community. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to appoint someone with such extensive experience and qualifications to serve as the Director of Behavioral Health,” said Steve Lambert, Chair of the Butte County Board of Supervisors.

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For Immediate Release

February 11, 2020

 

BUTTE CHOICE ENERGY AUTHORITY LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE AND ANNOUNCES REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

 

Butte County, Calif.—Butte Choice Energy Authority (BCEA) is in the process of preparing to launch its Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program.  The CCA program will serve electric customers within the City of Chico and unincorporated Butte County. BCEA expects service to be available through the CCA program in the spring of 2021.

 

A website has been established with information about the CCA process, board meetings, and status updates. The website can be located at ButteChoiceEnergy.org. We encourage Butte County residents to visit the website to learn more about this upcoming opportunity.

 

In the coming months, BCEA will be issuing a number of Request for Proposals (RFPs) for technical and professional services. All RFPs will be available online at ButteChoiceEnergy.org/resources. Current RFPs include Power Supply and Scheduling Services, as well as Data Management and Customer Service. The final filing deadline for Power Supply and Scheduling Services is February 13, 2020. The final filing deadline for Data Management and Customer Service is February 28, 2020. Additional RFPs will be posted in the near future.

 

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For Immediate Release
February 10, 2020

VEGETATION REMOVAL AND FIRE FUEL MANAGEMENT ON ZINK ROAD, BALD ROCK ROAD AND ORO QUINCY HIGHWAY

Butte County, Calif. -- Butte County Public Works is currently performing fuel management along the gravel portion of Zink Road, portions of Bald Rock Road and Oro Quincy Highway from French Creek to the Plumas County Line.  Work will be performed in the County right of way, and consists of the removal of brush and over-populated small trees, along with raising the canopy of the older established trees to achieve a shaded fuel break.
Motorists that travel these roadways should expect delays of up to 15 minutes. Work schedules will vary based on crew availability, but will generally start at 7:30 a.m. with work completed and roads opened back up to traffic by 3:00 p.m.
Work will continue as crews are available through April 10, 2020. During work hours, the gravel portion of Zink Road will be closed to traffic and the alternative route of Bald Rock Road should be used. Bald Rock Road and Oro Quincy Highway will be restricted to a single lane of traffic, with flaggers stopping and directing traffic through the work zone.
The Butte County Public Works Department has been serving its residents since 1850, providing cost effective roadway maintenance services.  The Department maintains approximately 1,300 miles of roadways, over 500 bridges and drainage structures and more than 18,000 road signs.  

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